Tekken Tag Tournament 2/System/Parries and Reversal

This series of lessons are aimed to introduce the offensive systems Tekken has, which include hit ranges, throws, crush system, frames and the combo system, in a way that the readers can take advantage of this system in a fight.

• Strikes and Hit Ranges
• Frames #1: Explanation
• Frames #2: CH-Hunting
• Frames #3: Block Punishing
• Crush System
• Hitboxes and Range
• Parries and Reversals
• Throws #1: Front, Side, Back
• Throws #2: Crouch, Ground, Air
• Throws #3: Shifts, Chains, Tackles
• Combos #1: Launchers and Bounds
• Combos #2: Stage Gimmicks
• The Art of Buffering

Parries and Reversals

Objectives

• To introduce parries & reversals
• To introduce sabakis and other parrying attacks
• To introduce generic low parries

Parries and Reversals have been here a while in many of our martial arts, and their purpose is to use defensive techniques to generate offense. It works the same way in this game, and these defensive tools can help you turn the momentum to your favor. In this page, we're gonna talk in-depth about them, and explore the situations that make use of them.

Parries

Parries are the techniques where you deflect an opponent's attack, and opens up your opponent's defense with it. Its rewards vary depending on the character, since everyone have different kinds of parries (and different inputs too). Some parries, like Xiaoyu's 1+4, give frame advantage when successfully done, giving you a chance to do mix-ups or CH opportunities. Other parries, like Steve's b+1+2 and Wang's b+1, have exclusive follow-ups on them, and Jin's parry (b+2+4) parries attacks like they whiffed (no block animation part for you), making the attack unsafe. Parries do have advantage over blocking, especially in dealing with frame traps and delayed strings, as you can get awarded more damage than standing there waiting to block. Also, parries can also get damage opportunities even against safe attacks like jabs and pokes, so it's always good to attempt them from time to time just to halt your opponent.

Reversals

Reversals, unlike parries, try to use your opponents strike to "reverse" it to an attack of some sorts. Reversals usually are inputted as b+1+3 or b+2+4 and when successfully done, your character does a throw animation that does damage depending on what attack your opponent did. Depending on your character, reversals can be chickened (reverse a reversal) by pressing f+1+3 (if they got your left punch or kick) or f+2+4 (if they got your right punch or kick). Still, some characters' reversals can't be chickened, like King and Wang. Remember, Low Attacks, Headbutts, Knees and Elbows can't be reversed with the exception of Dragunov, who is the only character with a low reversal.

Sabaki

Sabakis, are attacks that have parrying properties on some parts of its animation (sadly, they only parry punches). This is a pretty nifty tool that can be comparable to a crushing move in terms of how to use it, but instead of looking for what kind of hit range an attack has, you're looking for just a punch (which makes things easier). Jin's df+1+2 and Feng's 1+2 are good examples of sabakis, and aside for setting them up, sabakis are particularly good when you and your opponent are in the middle of exchanges of pokes.

Low Parries

Universal Low parries are parries that aims to deflect low attacks and trips your opponent when done successfully. Low parries can be done by tapping df when you see a low coming. When successfully done, low parries will put your opponent to bound status (which will be talked about later); simply, you can do a mini-combo to your opponent. It doesn't give as much reward as crushing a low, but because of its quick input, you can use low parries to react against lows you didn't expect. Also, low parries can parry low and special mid attacks, so anyone who love to abuse fast low pokes should be more careful.

Why Parry?

When you ask a new Tekken player (unless they're Asuka/Jun players), they would rather block attacks that parry/reverse it because the pace of the game is too fast that it's easier for them to just block everything and punish. But then again, block punishing promotes the aggressive use of pokes, low damage moves that are fast and safe. Since pokes are pretty much safe on block, quick and hard to anticipate because of variety, it's impossible to get damage out of a block, hard to get a counterhit, and using crush moves will be a gamble. This is where parries and reversals really shine. Because of their quick start-up (quicker than 10-frame jabs), you can use them as long as you know your opponent's gonna attack. If you have quick reflexes, it's possible to do parries, reversals and low parries on reaction. Parries and Reversals are good against people who spam pokes and strings that hard to react and move against. Parries and Reversals halt aggressive pokers and reverse the momentum to your favor, and setting them up as a threat will make them think twice before attacking.